Principal's Newsletter October 2026
Mrs. McCollum
Oct 7: PAC /PTO Meeting, 4 PM
Oct 8: Gr 1 Farm Trip
Oct 9, 13, 22: Gr 1-5 AAM Trips
Oct 12: SCHOOL CLOSED
Oct 15: PICTURE RETAKE DAY 📸
Oct 22: Kindergarten Farm Trip
Oct 24: PTO Trunk or Treat, 1-3 PM!
I want to offer my sincere gratitude to all families who responded quickly and clearly to assist us with Friday's emergency early dismissal. As with any emergency, it was unexpected and a unique situation, given that our backup generator was also knocked out by the power line being taken out just down the street from school. The downstairs and all internal rooms upstairs were very dark, so we were unable to retrieve belongings.
Students were loaded onto buses and daycares if that was how they were already listed to go home. We worked very hard to ensure parents were aware and had the ability to change their method home. Our priority was to ensure all students were returned safely to their families.
Our building power, internet and phones were all restored prior to 5:00 PM last Friday. Students will be able to retrieve their belongings Monday in school.
Communication about the early dismissal was sent via Class Dojo and the Jupiter portal.
- Please be sure you are signed into both of these programs in order to receive these messages.
- In Jupiter, be sure Text messages are checked off for Emergency Alerts and Messages. We do not over-use the text feature and this is the main way we will communicate urgent matters.
- Finally, please make sure all emergency contacts are listed in the Jupiter portal (Go to Menu and Settings)
Please see the form below to help us should we ever be in this situation again.
Our standard emergency protocol is to use SDM to adjust how you want your child to go home, however given the time of this event (1:00 PM), parents would only have had until 2 PM to make adjustments. I will follow up with School Dismissal Manager to determine if there is a way to extend this time. Meanwhile, the form below will ensure we have this information on hand, should this ever occur again.
As always, thank you so much for your support.
This year's Falling into Math challenge has officially begun! Students begin memorizing their math facts and when they are ready, they try to recite them to their teacher or any other AAECS staff member. Whenever they memorize a fact family, they earn a badge. When they earn a badge for all of the fact families for their grade level, they have become an official Math Master! Classroom progress toward all students earning Math Master status is tracked on a poster in the building!
Falling into Math Challenge includes:
- Kindergarten: Counting from 0-120
- 1st & 2nd Grade: Addition 1-12 Facts
- 3rd - 5th Grade: Multiplication 1-12 Facts
Thank you to all families for helping your child "Make 95% "this year! We are excited to celebrate students who come to school, reminding them of how important it is to be present!
Please know, as a public charter school, we are obligated to report our attendance to the PA Department of Education (PDE) each year. According to PDE, charter school students who are out for 10 consecutive days without an allowable excuse must be disenrolled.
Common reasons we receive for absences that are not allowable are listed below. These absences remain unexcused, leading to truancy status for your child.
- Parent Illness
- Vacation
- Lack of Transportation
Repeated lateness can also lead to truancy, as students are missing valuable education time. We appreciate your efforts to get your child to school every day. Please contact Mrs. Courtney Henegan, if you are experiencing homelessness, or other issues impacting your child's attendance. We are here to help!
See our Family Handbook link below for a list of allowable excuses according to PDE.
We are very excited to embark on our Annual AAECS Days at the Museum! At each trip, students will practice critical thinking skills to analyze each arts piece and will then connect it to the classroom. Additionally, we will be hosting a very special Exhibit in January at the Allentown Art Museum, led by Miss Nehmeh and Miss Groff, AAECS Visual Arts Teachers, to showcase the amazing projects that our students create as they were inspired by their visit!
Since the traffic light at 6th and Walnut remains down, we have reserved buses for these trips.
See the form link below for your child's day and time of their visit. Parent chaperones are needed! Fill out the form to see the chaperone request link.
Help us promote kindness and bullying prevention throughout October!
FRIDAY, OCT 9:
- TEAM UP AGAINST BULLYING!
- WEAR YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM JERSEY
FRIDAY, OCT 16
- KEEP THE PEACE!
- WEAR TIE-DYE
WEDNESDAY, OCT 21
- UNITY DAY!
- WEAR ORANGE
FRIDAY, OCT 23
- BE A BUDDY, NOT A BULLY!
- GO WILD FOR KINDNESS!
- WEAR ANIMAL PRINT OR DRESS AS YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL
FRIDAY, OCT 30
- HALLOWEEN PARADE
- DRESS AS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER
